Binder



Nov. 7, 1939.

H. FABRY BINDER Filed May 8, 1939 my' BY i INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1939 TES .n rrete sr -e-ENT oF-Fice f3 Claims.

My invention relates to binders 'for loose leai` sheets, andparticularly those utilizing the socalled plastic binding. This bindingconsists of a length of iieinble'material bent into tubular form, aportion oi the material being cut away to provide a series of iingersthat engage with erforations in the sheets to be bound.

The binding, such as described, is common and vin extensiveluse and thisinvention relates to means for providing a cover or backing that willconceal the hinge element or binding and that will provide extremelysimple means for holding the bound unit in the case or backing.

In binders of the type described, it is common to provide a backing orcover for the sheets that are held by the described binding but in eachthereof it has been found necessary to provide rivets that projectthrough the back edge, thus marring the appearance and adding to theconstruction cost.. I am able to avoid this diiliculty by providing asingle metal member of curved cross-section, the curvature being thesame as that of the plastic binding element. This metal member mayreadily be glued securely to the material composing the backing, theresulting structure having a curved outline or contour correspondingsubstantially to the natural curvature of the edge of the structure.

An important element in connection with my improved binder is thefastening or connecting device that serves to join the bound bundle tothe backing or cover. This comprises a single iieXible wire having aninitial camber, the mounting of the wire at one end being such that thewire cannot be rotated. Thus the bend in the wire is always in the sameposition; that is, it extends upwardly or away from the bottom of theshallow channel or support. This is essential since the additional bendnecessary to unseat the fastening could only be made upwardly or awayfrom the floor of the strip. At its opposite end the wire has a buttonor head having two diameters. The portion of largest diameter isarranged to t easily within an undercut recess in an end bracket on thesupport, the portion of smaller diameter being arranged to pass freelythrough the narrow neck of the undercut recess. 'Ihus by slight pressureon the end of the button, the bend or camber of the wire is increased,permitting the button to be readily disengaged from the fastening. Thebending of the wire accomplishes' another purpose in that it insuresthat the contact of the binding tube is at the extreme ends only of thewire. Consequently a very great force would be required to cause suilibyreference to the accompanying drawing, in y which:

Fig. lis a plan view of an open binder constructed in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View, greatly enlarged, on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;and

Figs. 3 and' 4 are sectional views, also greatly enlarged, on the lines3 3, 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I have indicated a number of sheets lil which may be ofany desired form, for the accommodation of photographs or otherwise, thesheets being perforated, as shown, and engaged by a so-called plasticbinding member. This member is composed of flexible material such asCelluloid, having a solid portion II and a divided portion forming ngersl2, the member being rolled into a tube, the iingers I2 overlapping thesolid portion II. By the use of a simple tool, the tube may be expandedto enable the removal and replacement of the sheets as' required.

` The binder of my invention comprises a strip of substantially thelength of the binding, the back I3 of the strip being arcuate in crosssection and terminating in brackets I, I5 at opposite ends. This curvedstrip is adapted to be glued by a sheet Il which overlies the metalstrip. Due

to the curved outline of the strip and the ar-v rangement of the parts,the cover may be securely joined without the use of rivets that projectthrough the binding edge.

Connected to the bracket I4 in such manner as to provide for limitingfreedom of vmovement but so as to prevent rotation is a spring wire I8.As a preferred means for attaching and preventing rotation I provide thewire with an offset end I9 which is held in a pocket provided in thebracket I4. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the wire I8 isinitially bent to lie in the position shown in the said igure; that is,With its middle portion` projecting above the floor of the bindingmember. In this position the wire has ample space to receive theadditional bend necessaryto free the attaching means; there is no suchspace downwardly or sideways. At its opposite end the wire has a buttonor head hav- I greater in width than the small diameter 2| of tthebutton. Normally the wire will remain in the full line position f Fig. 2With the button engaging the bracket l5. W'hen, however, a slight thrustis exerted on the button the camber of the wire is increased asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the small diameter of the buttonwill be opposite the narrow portion 23 of the recess, enabling thebutton to be readily disengaged from its fastening.

It will be noted that the curvature of the back piece I3 issubstantially that of the binding tube. Thus the tube will readily seatitself in: position and be maintained in a snug t by the Wire whichengages the extreme ends of the tube.

By examining Fig. 2 it will be seen that any force exerted by the boundstructure against the wire will be exerted at the two extremeends towhich point there will be no tendency to further bend the wire andpractically no force will be suiiicient to cause disengagement of thewire.

I claim:

1. In a binding means adapted to hold a plurality of sheets throughperforations, and including a cover member having an attached stripprovided with upstanding ends, a cambered wire adapted to receive saidbinding member, one end of said Wire being non-rotatably attached to oneupstanding end, a button fixed on the other end of said wire adapted tobe engaged with and disengaged from the other upstanding end by changingthe camber of the wire.

2. In a binding means adapted to hold a plurality of sheets throughperforatons, and including a cover member having an attached stripprovided with upstanding ends, the strip being curved in cross sectionto provide a conformable seat for the binding member, an upwardlycambered wire adapted to receive said binding member, one end of saidwire being non-rotatably attached to oneY upstanding end, a button xedon the other end of said wire adapted to be engaged with and disengagedfrom the other upstanding end by changing the camber of the wlre.

3. In a binding means adapted. to hold a plurality of sheets throughperforations, and including a cover member having an attached stripprovided with upstanding ends, a cambered wire adapted to receive saidbinding member, one end of said wire being non-rotatably attached to oneupstanding end, a button fixed on the other end of said Wire, the otherupstanding end having an undercutrecess and said button having portionsof two diameters, the portion of smaller diameter being adapted to passthrough the narrow portion of the recess when force is exertedlongitudinally of the Wire to increase the camber therein.

HERMAN FABRY.

